BEIRUT, Lebanon — Rebel snipers are preventing Syrian civilians from leaving the besieged area of eastern Ghouta through a corridor opened this week by the government to facilitate evacuations, a United Nations official said. The official, who entered the area with a relief convoy earlier this week, added that many of those who preferred to leave might nonetheless choose to stay even if the snipers relented. They feared for their safety in government-held territory, he said, and worried that they might never be allowed to return. Even if the government made such an offer, there does not seem to be any place in rebel territory that could accommodate the large numbers that might want to leave. And this despite a Security Council resolution last week calling for a cease-fire and access for humanitarian aid.

Source: New York Times March 09, 2018 15:57 UTC